Tomoyuki Yamashita

General Yamashita, the "Tiger of Malaya", was one of Japan's master strategists in World War II, and one of its most effective commanders. He was posted to the General Staff in 1916, soon after graduating with honors from the Army war college. During the years between the two World Wars, he served in staff, command, and attache duties in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The Tiger of Malaya

His first command was an infantry brigade in Korea. He rose quickly through the ranks, and by 1941 he commanded the Twenty-Fifth Army. His assault of Singapore, the "Gibraltar of the East" on December 8, 1941, with a nine-week march through the treacherous Malaysian jungle resulted in the largest British surrender in history (Lt. Gen Sir Arthur Percival and 130,000 British troops). He won the loyalty and admiration of his men by being one of the first in the front lines during the assault. This victory gave him the moniker the "Tiger of Malaya".

Unfortunately, his swift rise in both rank and fame also bought enemies in the Imperial Court. Prime MinisterHideki Tojo, long jealous of his fame and of Yamashita's well-known dislike of his policies, had the general reassigned to Manchuria, where he languished for two years, while his best officers and men were moved to more active fronts.

The American forces, led by General Douglas MacArthur, landed almost unopposed onto the island of Leyte on October 20, 1944. With MacArthur's "I shall return" speech still resounding over local guerilla radio, the Americans pounded the hastily reinforced Japanesegarrison for over two months; when the island finally fell in December Yamashita had sent a total of 75,000 men into the fight and lost over 60,000, while the Americans had only 3,500 killed and 12,000 wounded.

With the proper air support, MacArthur could finally take out the kamikaze squadrons that had been pounding his ships (the Americans lost a total of 16 ships and 80 damaged before they won control of the air). Also, bombers cut most of the supply lines into Manila and further north; over a thousand troops drowned and more than half the supply ships were lost. What troops Yamashita now had (about 275,000) were ill-equipped and starving.

On January 9, 1945, MacArthur ordered two separate landings on Lingayen Gulf; two days later they marched on Manila. Several more landings later, and almost the entire Sixth Army was ashore, although the Japanese, under Rear Adm. Sanji Iwabuchi, fought them every step of the way.

Iwabuchi, however, was operating counter to orders given by Yamashita; the general had earlier ordered all troops to withdraw from Manila and disperse in the surrounding countryside, into the mountains to the north and east. His plan was to deny the towns and farms surrounding Manila to MacArthur, however, Admiral Iwabuchi felt this was a cowardly plan, not worthy of the ideals of bushido.

Throughout the trial, he maintained his plea of "not guilty", up until his execution by hanging on February 23, 1946. At the site of the execution in Los Banos, Laguna is now a small, moss-covered shrine near the Boy Scout Jamboree camp site.

Facts checked from www.thehistory.net and the Los Banos Yamashita shrine.